Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Red Army Faction
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Videos
Rise and fall of the Red Army Faction in West Germany
Understanding the post-1968 political changes in West Germany
The Legacy of West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Red Army Faction

German radical leftist group
Also known as: Baader-Meinhof Gang, Baader-Meinhof Gruppe, RAF, Red Army Fraction, Rote Armee Fraktion(Show More)
Written by
John Philip Jenkins
Distinguished Professor of History, Baylor University. Author of A History of the United States, Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in America, Synthetic Panics: The Symbolic...
John Philip Jenkins
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

Red Army Faction (RAF), West German radical leftist group formed in 1968 and popularly named after two of its early leaders, Andreas Baader (1943–77) and Ulrike Meinhof (1934–76). The group had its origins among the radical elements of the German university protest movement of the 1960s, which decried the United States as an imperialist power and characterized the West German government as a fascist holdover of the Nazi era. From its early years, members supported...

Discover the world with Britannica

Subscribe to Continue Reading

Free Trial | No Ads | Exclusive Content
Explore Subscriptions
DNA
Right
Mobile